Thursday, September 4, 2014

(Archdiocese of Washington) The time for happy-clappy and
light-hearted engagement of our culture may be nearing an end. Sometimes
it takes a while t understand that what used to work no longer works.
Let me get more specific.

Decades ago the “Al Smith Dinner” was
a time for republicans and Democrats to lay aside the hatch and come
together to raise money for the poor and to emphasize what unites us
rather than what divides us. But in the old days the death of 50 million
infants was not what divided us. We were dived about lesser things like
how much o the budget should got to defense and to social spending.
Reasonable men might differ over that.

But now we are being
asked to raise toasts and to roast and to enjoy a night of frivolity
with those who think it is okay to abort children by the millions each
year, with those who think anal sex is to be celebrated as a form of
love, and that.e LGBTQIA…etc (I=intersexual A= Asexual) is actually a
form of sanity to which we should tip our hat, with those who stand
four-square against us over religious liberty.

Now the St. Patrick’s Parade will become of parade of disorder,
chaos and fake unity. Frankly, lets be honest, St. Patrick’s Day
nationally has become a disgrace of drunkenness and foolishness in the
middle of Lent that more often embarrasses the memory of Patrick than
honors him.

Now it is about to become absurdity in NYC with the “parade” devolving into a farcical and hateful ridicule of the Faith St. Patrick preached.

It’s time to cancel the St. Patrick’s Parade,
and the Al Smith Dinner and all other sorts of ‘catholic’ traditions
that have been stolen by the world. Better for Catholics to enter their
churches on their knees on St. Patrick’s day an pray in reparation for
the foolishness to end for this confused world to return to its senses.
Lets do adoration and pray unceasingly the rosary and divine mercy
chaplet for this poor old world.

But don’t go to the parade and stay away from Al Smith Dinners
and all that “old school” stuff that hangs on in a darkened world. Re.
St Patrick’s day, it is time to stop wearing the green and take up the
purple of Lent and mean it. Enough of the stupidity, frivolity and
drunkenness that St Patty’s day has become, we need penance now, not
foolishness and parades and dinner with people who scoff at our
teachings, insist we compromise, use us for publicity and make money
off of us. We are being played and we for (and are?) fools.

End the St Patrick’s parade. End the Al Smith Dinner
and all compromised events like them. Enough now, back to Church, wear
the purple of Lent and if there is going to be a procession, let it be
Eucharistic and penitential for the sins of this age.

For the sake of your sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

“How many voices in our materialist society tell us that happiness is to be found by acquiring as many possessions and luxuries as we can? But this is to make possessions into a false god. Instead of bringing life, they bring death.”- Pope Benedict XVI

"This past Wednesday I was in part of the hospital that was devoted to people who have memory problems like my father. The people here may have no idea who I am but they light up at the sight of a collar. People who cannot carry on a conversation click “on” and join in prayer as if there were little wrong with them, their faces relaxing in this moment of peace amidst the chaos of illness."- Fr. Valencheck

"The priest's life is not his own. He does not live it for himself and his personal fulfillment, but for the salvation of souls."- Fr. Richtsteig

"I am convinced that if we simply follow the liturgical books, say the texts and carry out the gestures properly, in a style continuous with our tradition, the Church’s liturgy has power the capture minds and hearts and transform them.

I starting forming this conviction before I became a Catholic through my experience of Novus Ordo Masses done in an entirely Roman traditional style, closely following the books.

The late Msgr. Richard Schuler would eventually articulate to me in words what I was experiencing in the church. "Just do what the Council asked… do what the Church asks."

Why is worship well executed according to the mind of the Church so effective?

Christ is the true Actor in the sacred action of the Church’s worship. He makes our hands and voices His own as He raises our petitions and offerings to the Father for His glory and our salvation.

Christ’s Holy Church has determined the way by which we may have this encounter with mystery in the liturgy, be taken up in the sacred action.

Although we have the right to our Rite celebrated as the Church desires, liturgy is not about me or us or even you in the pews." - Fr. Zuhlsdorf

"After celebrating Mass facing the Lord I can report these favorable effects from the priest's point of view:

1. I don't have to worry about where to look
2. I don't have to worry about what my face looks like
3. I can weep at the beauty and wonder of it all without concern
4. I can worship more freely and fully
5. I feel more at one with the people of God
6. I am on a journey to God with the people
7. I am not the focus of attention
8. The elevation of the host and the Ecce Agnus Dei have become more of a focus
9. I feel more part of the great tradition
10. I can't see who's not paying attention and feel I have to do something to get their attention back." - Fr. Longenecker

"My rector in Denver, when he was a young priest, was eating dinner at his secretary's house, a widow from Sicily. Thinking he was polite he said, 'If you wish you can call me Michael.' She stopped, put her hand on her hip, and, pointing at him with her wooden spoon, said, 'Don't think I call you Father because I think you're better than me! I call you Father to remind you who you're supposed to be and how you're going to be judged by our Lord!' He passes that lesson on to all his seminarians."- Fr. Andrew

Decalogue Against Temptation

1. Do not forget that the devil exists.
2. Do not forget that the devil is a tempter.
3. Do not forget that the devil is very intelligent and astute.
4. Be vigilant concerning your eyes and heart. Be strong in spirit and virtue.
5. Believe firmly in the victory of Christ over the tempter.
6. Remember that Christ makes you a participant in His victory.
7. Listen carefully to the word of God.
8. Be humble and love mortification.
9. Pray without flagging.
10. Love the Lord your God and offer worship to Him only.